ideasfandomcom-20200222-history
Universal Parks and Resorts
Universal Parks & Resorts, also known as Universal Studios Theme Parks or solely Universal Theme Parks, is the theme park subsidiary of NBCUniversal. The subsidiary, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, operates Universal theme parks and resort properties around the world. Universal Parks & Resorts is best known for attractions and lands based on famous classic and modern pop culture properties (movies, television, literature, cartoons, comics, video games, music, etc.) from not only NBCUniversal, but also third-party companies, for all of its parks. It started as a touring attraction Universal Studios Hollywood in the 1910s, and in 1964 turned into a family amusement park destination, where guests can look behind the scenes look of motion pictures and television programs, produced by Universal Studios and occasionally others, and ride the attraction based on world's favorite feature films and television shows. The popularity of Universal Studios Hollywood had led Universal to build parks in Florida and overseas. It is a major competitor of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and SeaWorld Entertainment. Current theme parks Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood became the first Universal Studios theme park when it opened its doors on July 15, 1964, long after it was originated as a studio tour in 1915, after the Universal original founder, Carl Laemmle, opened Universal City, California. In May 1993, Universal CityWalk opened outside the gates of the theme park, featuring 65 entertainment-themed restaurants, nightclubs, shops, and entertainment spots. It also contains the AMC Universal CityWalk Cinemas, offering 19 screens including an IMAX Theatre and stadium-style seating. Approximately 415 acres (1.7 km²) is within and around the surrounding area of Universal City, including its theme park and the film studio adjacent nearby. Universal Orlando Resort Universal Orlando Resort (formally called Universal Studios Escape) opened to the public on June 7, 1990, in Orlando, Florida, starting at Universal Studios Florida. It features themed areas and attractions based on the film industry. There are 2 main parts to the park. Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Islands of Adventure features rides such as: "The Hulk", "Spiderman", "Jurassic Park", and "Harry Potter". Universal Studios features rides such as: "Men in Black", "The Mummy", "Hollywood Rip-Ride Rocket", and "Escape from Gringotts". On May 28, 1999, Universal Orlando had expanded into a vacation resort, with the opening of Islands of Adventure theme park, featuring various themed islands which emphasized adventures and characters embodied in the attractions. Simultaneously, Universal CityWalk was added to accommodate the guests within the resort leading to the two parks. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando hotel opened at Universal Orlando Resort in September 1999, followed by Hard Rock Hotel in December 2000, Loews Royal Pacific Resort in February 2001, Cabana Bay Beach Resort on March 31, 2014, and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort on July 7, 2016. In 1998, Universal Orlando acquired Wet 'n Wild water park (founded in 1977 by Seaworld founder George Millay) and was the company's main water park until it closed on December 31, 2016, where it was replaced by another water park Volcano Bay, which opened on May 25, 2017. The new water park consists of 18 attractions, including slides, 2 lazy rivers and raft rides. The park includes two volcano themed rides: the Ko'okiri Body Plunge, a 70-degree-angle, 125-foot water slide; and the Krakatau Aqua Coaster, a canoe ride traveling among the peaks and valleys of the central volcano in the park. Universal Studios Japan After almost three years of construction, Universal Studios Japan opened on March 31, 2001, in the Konohana-ku district of Osaka, Japan, and was the first Universal Studios theme park to open outside of the U.S. It was also the first theme park to operate within the Asian region. The park incorporates attractions from both Universal Orlando and Hollywood and features a CityWalk district, a shopping mall with multiple official Universal hotels and many restaurants and shops, including stores selling Universal Studios merchandise and Osaka souvenirs. The theme park occupies an area of 108 acres and is the most visited amusement park in Japan after its rival Tokyo Disney Resort. Universal Studios Singapore Construction of the Singapore park began within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa, Singapore on April 19, 2008. Universal Studios Singapore was given a soft opening on March 18, 2010 and later a wide opening on May 28, 2011. It was the second Universal Studios theme park to operate on Asia and also the first in Southeast Asia. Like other Universal theme parks, it features attractions from various Universal and other studio companies' properties, including Jurassic Park, ''Madagascar'', ''Shrek'', ''The Mummy'', Waterworld, ''Tranformers'', and others. It currently sits on is 20 hectares (49 acres) in size, which occupies the easternmost part of the 49-hectare (120-acre) Resorts World Sentosa, and is marketed as a "one-of-its-kind theme park in Asia". However, it has no Universal CityWalk District since it already has a resort shopping map and restaurants adjacent near the park. Unlike other Universal theme parks, Singapore is entirely run by Genting Group with the licensing approval from Universal Parks & Resorts. Future theme parks Universal Studios Beijing Universal Studios Beijing is the upcoming Universal theme park that will open around 2020 in Beijing, China. It will feature rides and attractions themed primarily to Universal-owned movies, TV shows, animation, and music, and as well as licensed properties from other companies (e.g. Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, etc). The project was announced on October 13, 2014, with more than 20 billion RMB being invested into the project. It will be jointly owned by Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Co., Ltd. (BSH Investment), a consortium of four state-owned companies, and Universal Parks & Resorts. As of 2017, the park is currently in construction. Universal Studios Moscow Universal Studios Moscow is an indoor theme-park and shopping complex that has been scheduled to open on 2022 in Moscow, Russia. It will home rides and attractions based on worldwide well-known pop-culture properties, like Universal-owned library and third-party properties. It is to be the first ever indoor Universal theme park, due to the fact that Russia is a country considered to be too cold during winter. Former or cancelled parks Cancelled *Universal Studios Dubailand, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Broke ground 2008, no construction since 2009) *Universal Studios South Korea Former *Universal Mediterránea, Salou, Spain (1997–2004) Water Parks Former *Costa Caribe Aquatic Park, Salou, Spain (2002–2004) *Wet 'n Wild Orlando (Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida, United States; wholly owned) (1977–2016) Fanon Despite this article is not fanon and as well as this section is not included on Wikipedia, you can add your own fanon Universal parks to this list. * TBA